CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
A group of local dad’s in Betoota’s inner-city have spent months detesting the fact that their partners and children feel the need to recognise and celebrate an obscurely religious American holiday.
Halloween, or All Hallows Evening, as it is known by the religious institutions that created it, is widely believed to have originated from ancient Celtic harvest festivals.
Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, attending Halloween costume parties, carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, divination games, playing pranks, visiting haunted attractions, telling scary stories, and watching horror films.
In recent years, due to American movies and successful marketing targeted at children, the concept of Halloween has been forced upon gentrified suburbs of Australia – where residents are forced to provide lollies to children based on the merits of their costumes.
Local dad, Brucey, says he hates every minute of Halloween. From the costumes, to his forced involvement, to the idea of his children annoying people in his suburb who are just trying to enjoy a Tuesday night at home.
“It’s quite cringeworthy. The whole thing. Everyone of the other dads feel the same but the costumes are so excited for Sal and the girls”
“But there is a plus side”
As Brucey points out, there is roughly one hour to 75 minutes on this Tuesday evening where he is not expected to be anywhere.
“The kids will be so full of lollies when they get home that no one will be eating. And they run too fast for me to keep up on the trail”
“I’ve got a stir fry chopped and ready for the missus, and I’ve got every other dad in the neighbourhood meeting me up the road for a schooner in ten minutes”
“Quick get out of the road”
